Watching
by Kristen3
Summary: When Daphne is upset by a tragic nursing-home fire, Niles takes the opportunity to comfort her. The Daphne says something that makes Niles think maybe it's time to tell her what he's longed to tell her since they met. One-shot.


**Author's ****Note: **Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for encouraging me to do this, after her 9/11 story sort of planted a seed. :)

Daphne watched the local news footage in disbelief. Smoke poured from the windows of a Seattle nursing home. Rescue workers frantically tried to evacuate the elderly residents as quickly as possible. It was just so hard to imagine such a thing happening so close to home. Daphne knew exactly where this facility was located. The elder Dr. Crane had often joked about placing his father in one of its rooms. And now, the place was gone.

The doorbell rang, but Daphne almost didn't want to get up to answer it. She feared that, somehow, if she turned away from the news for even a moment, the situation would become worse. She knew that made no logical sense, but she still couldn't quite shake the idea. Now the person at the door was knocking, clearly growing impatient. At last, Daphne very reluctantly got up to answer it.

At the sight of the younger Dr. Crane standing in the doorway, Daphne felt a strange sense of relief. She hugged him immediately.

Niles was grateful for the embrace. The scent of her shampoo overwhelmed him for a moment. But it didn't take long before he realized how very unusual this was. "Daphne, are you OK?"

She pulled of the embrace, missing the comfort it had provided. "Yes. I'm sorry for worrying you. But there's a fire at the Emerald City Nursing Home."

Niles frowned. "Oh, well, that's too bad." But he still had no idea why this would be upsetting her so.

Daphne saw he didn't understand how bad it was. She took him by the hand over to where he television set was. "Look!" She pointed at the screen.

"Oh, my God. When you said there was a fire, I never expected something like _this_!"

"I know! Can you imagine how frightened those poor residents must feel? I just keep thinking of your father."

Now it began to make a bit more sense. "But, Daphne, Dad's not in a nursing home. He lives here."

Daphne nodded. "I know. But the people in that home must have families, too!" Tears welled up in her eyes.

Niles took her in his arms at once. His intention was to soothe her, but he also enjoyed the feeling of holding her, regardless of the circumstances. "I'm sure the authorities are doing what they can to notify the families of the victims. Everything will be taken care of, so there's no need for you to worry."

Smiling sadly, Daphne squeezed his hand. "I know. But what if some of those people don't make it? Their children won't get to say goodbye..."

Suddenly, Niles felt a deep sense of sadness. He'd nearly found himself in that very situation when his father was shot. Both he and Frasier were well aware that they could've easily lost their father that day. Niles knew that had been a large part of his brother's decision to take their father in. They had been lucky, in a sense, with their mother. The two Crane boys had always been closer to her than to Martin. Though they would have liked to have more time with her, both Niles and Frasier had been on good terms with Hester. "I see what you mean," Niles finally said. "I've had many patients who can't forgive themselves, even years later."

Daphne nodded. "I know I complain about me mum, but I can't really be mad at her for long. Being so far away, I might not get a chance to tell her I love her. Can you imagine how that would feel, if you missed your last chance to tell someone how much they meant to you?"

Her words went straight to his heart. The very idea of living the rest of his life without getting another chance to tell Daphne he loved her was devastating. "Daphne, would you mind terribly if we turned off the sound from the TV? You can still watch it. I just want to talk to you for a moment."

"Well, all right. If it's that important to you."

"It is." He gently guided her over to the couch. She sat, and Niles noticed the way she nervously glanced at the screen. It was clear she was still concerned for the people affected by the fire. "Daphne?"

She turned away from the screen, albeit reluctantly. "Yes?"

"What you just said is very true. We often forget to tell our loved ones how we feel. It's easy to get caught up in your life and assume that you can always tell them some other time. But nothing's a guarantee. Frasier and Dad and I don't always see eye to eye, but we're family. We've become a lot closer these last few years. I think they know how much I love them. But there's one person in my life I'm not so sure about."

Daphne's heart began to race. "Who is it?" But even as she asked the question, her heart already knew what the answer was.

"You. In fact, you're the reason Dad and Frasier and I are getting along so well now. I could never begin to thank you enough for that. But there's so much more. There's also the way you care about others. Look at you right now, so concerned for the people affected by this fire. Except for the families involved, I doubt if anyone is as moved by this as you are."

Even though Daphne had an idea of where he was headed, she was still shocked to hear the words. She didn't know how to respond. All she could do was stare at her lap.

Niles reached for her hand. "Daphne, this isn't a bad thing. I'm just saying that you're one of the most compassionate people I've ever met. It's a wonderful quality. And it's just one of the many things I love about you."

At the word "love," Daphne looked up. She saw him smiling. She tried to smile back, but she couldn't quite do it. The TV screen was still showing images of elderly people being loaded into ambulances.

Niles' heart sank at her expression. "I know now might not have been the best time for me to make this declaration, but what you said really made sense. I don't know what I'd do if I found out I'd never get the chance to tell you how I feel."

Though Daphne was still saddened by the fire, she thought for a moment about what it would be like if she lost him. At first, it was hard to imagine. But then she realized there would be no more visits, no more sweet compliments. The thought made her sad, nearly as much as the fire had. "I suppose you're right. It isn't good to keep your feelings to yourself. I don't know what I'd do without you. Your father and brother as well."

When her voice broke, Niles knew she was getting upset again. He put his arms around her at once. "Daphne, we're all safe. There's nothing for you to worry about."

In Niles' arms, Daphne finally began to relax. For the first time, she realized how much he loved her. "Why couldn't I see this before?" She whispered the words, still holding on to him.

"Realize what?"

"All those times we've hugged, I never thought about how wonderful it felt. Even though I was so frightened a few moments ago, I feel perfectly safe, right here."

"That's all I've ever wanted, Daphne. For you to be safe. I love you." He kissed her hair, making sure to inhale its scent.

Suddenly, Daphne felt very tired. No doubt the stress and worry she'd experienced earlier was the cause. She let out a soft sigh, just as her eyes began to close. "I love you, too, Niles."

For a moment, Niles watched her sleep. He could hardly believe this was happening. He knew he couldn't allow anything to disturb her while she got some much-needed rest. He was about to very carefully reach for the remote to turn the TV off, but at the last moment, he decided to keep it on. When she woke up, Daphne would want to know if the nursing home residents were as safe as she was.

**The End**


End file.
